I live in the Great State of Texas, and many college students – 66,425 in 2016 to be exact, attend A & M. So of course, it goes without saying that I know lots of kids who attend school there, as well as others in the process of applying for a future spot.
One of my close friends has a son there currently and was alerted during the last month about two recent suicides on campus. Details are unknown, but just the other morning, she texted me about yet another one. That makes three. Of course, this story was buried in the news amidst hurricanes and other happenings.
Another friend, in another state, told me about a recent suicide on the campus where her son attends school at the University of Boulder-Colorado.
All of this news came after a call I received recently from Rock Prairie Behavioral Health Hospital in College Station. One of my former clients who attends school there checked themselves into the hospital feeling hopeless and suicidal. Luckily, this client reached out for help before doing anything. I received this call one day – just one day – after writing a letter my client requested asking her apartment manager to please waive a $400 pet fee because her cat was crucial to managing her ongoing anxiety. She couldn’t nearly afford the pet fee. She also, in my opinion, could not afford to not have her cat with her for the sake of her own mental health. It was a letter I gladly wrote.
The pet fee was waived.
This rash of college suicides, hitting so close to home, is worrisome. According to an American College Health Association (ACHA) study from 2016, the suicide rate among young adults, ages 15-25, has tripled since the 1950s and suicide is currently the second most common cause of death a month college students. This study has other interesting stats: 22.7% of students felt things were hopeless within the previous two weeks of being surveyed, and 58%, in that same timeframe, felt overwhelmed by all they had to do.
These statistics are alarming, but they are certainly not surprising. College is a stressful environment for many students. They are navigating being on their own for the first time, and dealing with newfound pressures of picking majors, dealing with roommates, and attending to life skills such as grocery shopping, laundry and organizing their own time management. Add the rampant availability of drugs and alcohol on campus and for some students who are already at risk, it can be overwhelming.
While are warning signs for suicide, sometimes, there simply are none. Kids can spiral fast. So listen when your child tells you they are feeling hopeless or worried or anxious or depressed. Encourage them to get help, and get it now. Insist on it. It could save their life.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline has a hotline that operates 24/7 at 800-273-8255. Students can also text HOME to 741741 and a live, trained Crisis Counselor will respond immediately.
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